In his final home dual meet bout, the senior, Niemann punched the Terriers' ticket to the Central Jersey Group 2 sectional final with a 5-3 decision over Raritan senior Ryan Polonsky that lifted Delaware Valley to a 31-30 semifinal win in a raucous, rocking Daniel Hutchins Memorial Gym.

"I'd never been in that position, with the match coming down to me," said Niemann, now 15-7 on the season after recovering from a bout of bronchitis. "I was so thankful when the final whistle blew. To win a sectional match this way in my last match here -- words can't describe it."

It's hard to find the words to describe how the Terriers (13-7), seeded second in the section, advanced to Friday's sectional final against No. 1 Long Branch (13-5), which defeated No. 4 Point Pleasant Boro 41-16 in the other semifinal.

The Terriers won just six bout wins, experienced some crushing last-second losses by veteran wrestlers and missed a starter from their lineup in 106-pounder Vito Intili, who was attending his grandmother's funeral.

"After we lost at 160 (in the opening bout) I knew something would have to go our way to come up with (a win), and every single one of our kids came up big," Delaware Valley coach Andy Fitz said.

None was bigger than Niemann. He took the mat with Delaware Valley trailing 30-28 and the crowd noise blasting louder than a heavy metal show.

"With about four matches to go (assistant coach Mat) Dawson came over to me and said. 'This is going to come down to you.' That wasn't too unnerving. I think it made me wrestle better."

Niemann scored the first takedown in the first period and rode Polonsky out.

"I think getting the first takedown was very important," Niemann said. "By getting the first it gives me a huge boost of confidence that I can go and do it again."

Niemann led 2-1 to start the third period with the Terrier on the bottom. Polonsky called for the optional start and paid for it almost immediately by being reversed for a 4-1 Niemann lead.

"The optional start changed my strategy; I don't think I had been given the optional start since sixth grade," Niemann said. "I was going to try and hard switch but with the optional the reversal just happened in the flow of the moment."

Niemann wrestled the rest of the third period the way Fitz expected him to.

"Alex has 700s on both sides of the SAT and is one of the smartest kids I know," Fitz said. "I knew he'd be intelligent with a lead."

Del Val was in a position where Niemann could clinch a win over Raritan because of some remarkable results earlier in the match. The Rockets' tenacity on their feet and charge ahead approach won them matches that seemed like wins for the Terriers and made Del Val need every bonus point it earned.

Raritan's strategic move to forfeit to Luke Zehnbauer at 182 and bump up Tyler Jones to meet Terriers senior Ryan Metz at 195 blew up when Metz, with the match tied at 7, reversed and decked Jones at 5:25.

Then at 106, Del Val freshman Kyle Refalvy, who came into tonight with just three wins this season, broke open a tie match with a takedown and pin off a scramble in 5:14.

"I liked Kyle in that match and he really came through," Fitz said. "And I didn't anticipate that they'd bump their better kid to 195 but Ryan has been underrated all year."

The close match could have been anticipated. The teams have met five times since 2007 with the matches decided by a combined 12 points.

"We knew this was going to be tight," Fitz said. "It's only the second time in my six years we've won just winning six bouts."